


Home is Where the Heart Is (and other cheesy sayings that say as such)

by RoseintheWind



Series: Iwaoi Week 2020 [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Every couple is together except iwaoi who cant get their shit together, Figuring things out through volleyball, Fluff, Found Family, M/M, My favourite dynamic, Reminiscing, Shenanigans, because what else, iwaoi week 2020, tad bit of the olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27940838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseintheWind/pseuds/RoseintheWind
Summary: ~~Iwaoi Week Day 7 - Reconnection~~After coming home from the Olympics, Iwaizumi in tow to see the former Seijoh team again, Oikawa realizes something about home and the person he didn't know he could have he needed in the center of it.
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kindaichi Yuutarou/Kunimi Akira, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Series: Iwaoi Week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035180
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68





	Home is Where the Heart Is (and other cheesy sayings that say as such)

"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa shrieks into Iwaizumi's arms after the gold medal hangs over his neck. The metal sinks into Iwaizumi's chest, proof of a victory so hard-earned. 

Iwaizumi's team, or rather Japan's national team, stands defeated on the other side of the court as silver medals hang around their own necks.

But Iwaizumi can't bring himself to be unhappy at all. 

They stare into each other's eyes, and Iwaizumi feels as though he could stay in the moment forever with Oikawa's wide grin and him drinking in his happiness like it's his only lifeline.

While rushing through the airport, eyes seem to linger on them. Oikawa shoots the surrounding people who recognize him with his biggest grin through their whispers of " _ Isn't that Oikawa Tooru? The setter who won gold today at the Olympics for Argentina? _ ". A few people give him dirty looks, a few people stare in awe. Some even come up for an autograph. Iwaizumi can't help but think of a long time ago of the two of them rushing to the Argentina versus Japan game. He sees Oikawa in the kids as they look up to him, all hope and inspiration lighting a new desire like it once did with Oikawa. 

A few people even recognize him as Japan's athletic trainer. 

"Oi, Oikawa! Hurry up!" He calls as their boarding time is called. 

Oikawa laughs at the compliments of a group of people flocking toward him. Iwaizumi's hands twitch for a volleyball. 

He marches over and tries to give one of his nicest smiles, but he's not very good at that when he purposely tries. Oikawa hasn't acknowledged his presence but the people in front of him sure have. They give Oikawa sweet and strained smiles before backing off.

"Iwa-chan what was that for? You scared them off!"

"I wouldn't have to scare them off if you wouldn't make us late for the flight, dumbass."

"But they're fans!" 

Iwaizumi quirks an eyebrow. He doesn't have as much leeway with kicking Oikawa away from people now that the entire world has access to him, but luckily there are still some things he can use to his advantage.

"And miss the chance to see Yahaba and Kunimi?"

Oikawa gasps, affronted. "I can't believe you'd imply that Yahaba-chan and Kunimi-chan are my favourite juniors!"

"But you'd miss the plane to see them to talk a little longer?"

Oikawa's lucky the line in customs is short and they get called up. 

" _ I would never do that to Kunimi-chan. _ " Oikawa hisses. Iwaizumi snorts and walks through the metal detector. 

On the plane, Oikawa sleeps the whole way to Sendai on Iwaizumi's shoulder. Of course, he'd been too eager to see the former Seijoh team and didn't want to spend his victory with his teammates a few days after the Olympic closing ceremony. 

The plane touches down in Sendai, the warm breeze swaying Oikawa's hair as he steps out on to well-known territory. 

High school students run around in their uniforms, excitement dancing through their faces as they run through the streets, finally getting out of school. People walk in and out of the marts, eager for something to eat. The airport bustles, people running too fast to catch flights, jet-lagged people trying to navigate their way home without collapsing, and lost tourists trying to find their way around. 

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Oikawa hums. "I guess so. It feels like I never left though, y'know?"

"Yeah. When I came back to Japan after California, it felt like it was just waiting for me to come back, not change while I was away." Iwaizumi lets a small grin stretch onto his face.

Oikawa goes to check his phone and squeals, "Iwa-chan we're going to be late!"

"You better get going then!" Iwaizumi starts running ahead while still carrying all of his bags. 

"Iwa-chan that's cheating!" Oikawa races after him.

They drop off their suitcases and fresh up at their respective houses. Oikawa ends up winning the race. Iwaizumi blames it on the height of his legs. 

They greet each other's parents with a hug and kiss on the cheek and a "congratulations" on Oikawa's end and a "good try" on Iwaizumi's. 

They say goodbye a little over an hour later and make their way to the ramen shop, the very same one the third years went to after their loss to Karasuno.

_ The amplification of euphoria and importance we placed on high school, whether warranted or not... it was such a long time ago. _

_ And yet, it's the reason I consider you family. _

"You're such a sap." 

"You're telling me you wouldn't do anything for our precious kouhai?" Oikawa responds, perfectly on par with the question even though Iwaizumi gave no context.

Iwaizumi gives him a soft look, unresponsive. 

"Iwaizumi-san! Oikawa-san!" Kindaichi greets as soon as he sees them through the window of the door and runs outside.

Six other pairs of eyes glance at them curiously before brightening up. Kunimi slides out of his chair very slowly and trails Kindaichi. 

"Hi Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-san." He nods in acknowledgement. 

Oikawa's face brightens up to that of the sun, and Iwaizumi's already  _ met  _ Hinata. 

Oikawa greets them with one of his biggest smiles and pulls them together to hug them. Kunimi looks uncomfortable, but not enough to pull away. Kindaichi jumps like he was shocked, but smiles. Iwaizumi ruffles Kindaichi's hair.

"Well, look who it is." Matsukawa smirks.

"Too famous to show up any other time huh?" Hanamaki drawls.

"There was not another time! I would have never missed it!" Oikawa looks behind him. "Iwa-chan?"

"Not that I know of."

"Oh don't worry about us, you were just too busy under the cameras and the lights and the Tokyo Olympics."

Oikawa squawks. "Makki-"

The entirety of their former team breaks out into synonymous laughter. 

"Congratulations, Oikawa!" They say excitedly with grins lighting their faces much like Oikawa's when he walked through the door. A "-san" rings through at the end from their juniors. 

"Iwaizumi-san! You were really close!" Watari chimes as they sit down. "Maybe next time?"

Iwaizumi barks a laugh. "Yeah for sure." He ruffles Oikawa's hair much more than he did Kindaichi, causing Oikawa to affrontedly screech. 

"Too bad you guys missed out," Matsukawa says. "Everyone was cheering and everything...no shame." 

"Are you still talking about that Mattsun?"

Matsukawa shrugs. "The proof is right here."

He holds up his phone to display him holding it up as he takes a selfie of the entire former Seijoh team crowded into the frame at what seems to be a bar in town. 

Matsukawa holds the camera in the front followed by Hanamaki at his side holding up a peace sign. Watari and Yahaba are slightly behind them, and Kyoutani looks like he's huffing a smirk. Someone's hand is also resting on Yahaba's shoulder. Kunimi and Kindaichi still hadn't given up their immense height over the previous second years and slightly tower over them from the middle of the very back. Behind them, the T.V. displays the early Argentina versus Japan game with the camera split on Oikawa and Iwaizumi, presumedly talking about their past. Iwaizumi is smirking. Oikawa has a small smile on, but determination and his level-headed zone leak through his posture. 

Everyone in the bar is wearing Argentinan flags, painted on their cheeks. 

"Kyoutani tried to do his own flags." Yahaba laughs. "The match was about to start, and he had to do them fast."

Kyoutani's ears turn a bright shade of red. "Whatever."

"What was that? I should've done them?"

Kyoutani glares at him, but Yahaba's smirk only grows wider. 

Matsukawa exits out of the picture, and Iwaizumi sees a glimpse that it's also his phone background.

Iwaizumi looks over to Oikawa, who has tears in his eyes. 

"Oikawa-san? Are you okay?" Kindaichi asks.

A soft smile spreads over his face. "Just fine, Kindaichi-kun. I'm just glad that you weren't supporting Tobio-chan and Ushiwaka-chan. Oh, you too Iwa-chan, but you don't count."

Iwaizumi glares at him, unsure if he's implying that he's not part of the national team or that he's being excluded out of favouritism. Hanamaki assumes if he had something non-breakable (like a volleyball perhaps) it would've been chucked at Oikawa's head thirty-two seconds ago. 

Yahaba ends up dragging Oikawa away before Iwaizumi can even get started.

"Oikawa-san, that play in the second set, the one where you lured Kageyama-kun into a feint, how did you do it?"

"Let's just say that I wouldn't be fooled twice."

Yahaba laughs.

"So, Oikawa-san? How long have you and Iwaizumi-san been dating?" Kindaichi asks. Hanamaki almost laughs at how similar the phrase of words is to one of the first questions the previous first-year asked when he first got into high school. Nostalgia at its finest, Hanamaki grins before looking over at Matsukawa, adoringly sweet. 

Like high school except for this time, he's got the said person like high school was a vacant memory waiting in place for something better for the two of them. He's sure Iwaizumi and Oikawa are the same way, probably amplified by years of knowing each other and a few less of pining. 

Oikawa seems to remember the conversation as well as he chuckles. "What do you mean? Iwa-chan and I aren't dating!" The tips of his ears even turn pink. Hanamaki almost forgets how good of an actor Oikawa is.

"Oikawa, you wouldn't even tell us? For shame. And Iwaizumi, no proposal when Oikawa won gold? A missed opportunity, that's what that was." Matsukawa sighs.

Oikawa tilts his head slightly, a confused look genuine on his face. "But me and Iwa-chan really aren't dating."

This conversation has become a little too eerily similar to the one in high school, Hanamaki decides. 

"You're not?" Yahaba asks. Even Kyoutani raises his eyebrows. 

The entirety of former Seijoh looks like they just saw someone get shot. 

"Talk about missed opportunities..." Hanamaki mutters.

"And you two haven't dated anyone since?" Watari asks, trying to sound as neutral as he can to especially Oikawa, who reads people like they're books that he can take out of a library at any time. 

The two shake their heads. "I've simply been too busy with volleyball!" Oikawa chirps. 

"Yeah." Iwaizumi inputs. "And university. And the entirety of the Japanese national team." He sighs, exasperated. 

On days, Hanamaki really does feel bad for him.

He wonders how Oikawa Tooru (27) CA San Juan setter and bachelor for reasons to do with "volleyball" hasn't gotten together with Iwaizumi Hajime (27) Athletic Trainer who is also a bachelor for pretty much the same shitty reason. It feels like the worlds at an imbalance. Like what the fuck. How, Hanamaki wonders, have him and Matsukawa and  _ literally all of their kouhai  _ except for Watari gotten together with someone on the team  _ except for them. _

After a few drinks and endless stories congregating over a few years, Hanamaki realizes he has to do  _ something _ . This was not happening. He was not going to leave the universe with such an imbalance. 

"Hey, Oikawa! How long do you plan on staying for?"

Oikawa hums. "Probably a week."

He and Matsukawa (co-written by almost everyone else in former Seijoh) come up with three plans. 

  1. Use Oikawa as a bargain and make Iwaizumi wrestle him and possibly confess.
  2. Show off how literally everyone is together and make Oikawa jealous.
  3. Do some shitty activity and see if they'll confess. (Because there's no way they'd have to get to this stage, right? They're not _that_ hopeless)



"Iwaizumi! Are you ready for another rematch!"

Iwaizumi laughs. Hanamaki feels a little bit of his pride crack. "You can be my guest and try again, Makki."

"Ah, it's not going to be easy this time! What if I said that if you lost you'd have to give me your picture of Oikawa?"

Iwaizumi almost loses his controlled expression. One of the pictures he'd taken of the two of them in Tokyo he got Oikawa to personally sign after their game. He knows he's got it framed or some cheesy shit like that. 

Oikawa balks from the sidelines. 

"Then you have to give me half of your creampuff stash."

Hanamaki gasps. He should've known. Now everything is on the line. 

Long story short, Oikawa sends him a picture a few days later of the creampuffs in his mouth as he holds a peace sign over Iwaizumi's head. 

Hanamaki blames it on being drunk. Plan one, failed.

When they meet up again about three days later, Hanamaki makes it a point to grip Matsukawa's hand in a showy manner as possible. They invite everyone back to go see Seijoh again, and he's going to make sure Iwaizumi and Oikawa notice, dammit.

He's hissed at all of his juniors to copy and do the same thing, much to the reluctance of Kyoutani and Kunimi. 

They're all holding hands (except Watari of course) as they make their way down the Seijoh hallway. The billboard on the wall for the volleyball club displays all the teams and their accomplishments. None of the years have anything about the team in general but there is a note of Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Kyoutani and Kindaichi going pro. 

Yahaba sighs at the picture taken the year after the third-years graduation. 

"Remember this?" He turns to Kyoutani. "You confessed to me right after they graduated. Something something about the third-years being gone and not wanting to wreck pride?" 

Kyoutani's ears turn darker than they did in the bar. "Shut up. There were no senpai's to disappoint." 

Iwaizumi laughs next to them. "Seems like such a long time ago, huh? I'm glad all of you are doing well though now."

The group picture looks so intimate, the team decided to do an informal huddle instead of something proper. 

"Those times really were the best." Yahaba nods, a fondness blooming in his chest. "Thank you for always being around, senpais."

The upperclassman all grin while Oikawa says "Of course, Yahaba-chan!"

After, Oikawa catches Kunimi and Kindaichi walking away down a nearby hallway. "Kunimi-chan, Kindaichi-kun, how long have you two been together?" Oikawa looks incredibly smug like he's figured the two out. 

Kunimi shrugs. "Second-year university?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so." Kindaichi replies.

"How did you two get together? Was it adorable? I bet it was adorable."

"None of your business." Kunimi mutters, not out of ill intentions but because the red on his pale face starts to spread. He grabs Kindaichi's hand from his coat pocket and pulls him down the hallway, speedwalking. 

Oikawa gasps. "Kunimi-chan, as your senior you should be telling me this!" He runs after them.

"I'm jealous of everyone." Watari laughs as he watches the three. Nearby, Hanamaki and Matsukawa recall stories of pranking the underclassmen in certain areas of the school. "They all look happy."

Iwaizumi hums. 

"Iwaizumi-san? Can you promise me something?" Watari asks him.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"That if you ever find someone close, you'll take care of them?"

Iwaizumi exhales his smile. "When did you start giving out relationship advice? It's good though, you should keep doing it."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yeah." Iwaizumi looks off into the darkness of the hallway. "Yeah, I'll do that."

"Sorry to make you do that, Iwaizumi-san. Everyone just looks so joyful, and when you don't have that you just want others to have it as much as possible, you know?"

Iwaizumi smiles. "Yeah, I do."

Hanamaki inwardly thanks the gods that the only rational person in the matchmaking business is his single kouhai. 

"We're writing letters!"

"You're shit at Japanese." Kyoutani mumbles.

"Why?" Kindaichi asks as if he doesn't already know. 

"Do you really not believe that I want to keep all of them and remember my precious team?" 

"He does keep a lot of Seijoh stuff." Matsukawa inputs.

"Okay, you have to write about the future or something about me, and then give it to me. Then we'll move on."

Oikawa shares a look with Iwaizumi and groans. "Send me back to Argentina already."

After five minutes, Hanamaki flips through the letters to find two that stick out. They are identical, the only thing differing being line placement and handwriting. They say only five words. 

_ We know what you're doing. _

"Dammit!" He throws the papers in the air and they land scattered across the floor. "You two are impossible!"

"We don't know exactly what you're trying to do but we know it's stupid." Iwaizumi says.

"I don't know why I even bother. My talent is wasted!" Hanamaki wails. "You know what?" He runs away and comes back two minutes later with a yellow ball in his hand. "For old times sake."

And everyone's eyes light up in tandem.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa have to be a pair so the third-years take on everyone else, hoping with two players who went pro and an extra person they won't get pulverized.

They're lucky there's an outdoor court not far from Seijoh. They decide to go to fifteen points because god knows half of them would probably collapse on the court if they had to go any longer. 

They have to make Oikawa promise to go easy, which just ends up him being a tad stronger than he was in high school. Naturally, they make him serve last.

Hanamaki hears Kunimi mumble to Kindaichi. "Reshow me how to play the game?"

Kindaichi grins in promise and goes up to serve. 

The serve curves straight to Matsukawa, who angles his arms wrong and the ball ricochets off the court. His next serve goes into the same place where Matsukawa's able to get it up to Oikawa who fakes to Iwaizumi and it sails to Hanamaki. He smashes it down and it's 1-1.

Hanamaki feels the nerves in his hand tingle with a sensation he hasn't felt in years.

Iwaizumi serves next, followed by Kunimi, then Matsukawa, then Kyoutani, Hanamaki, Yahaba and finally Oikawa. Once Oikawa steps behind the service line, the points total to 6-7 for his team. Yahaba and Watari look petrified. Kunimi's eyes have widened marginally. Kindaichi and Kyoutani look apprehensive at best. 

_ How much of a monster has he become _ ?

"Don't worry, precious kouhai's!" He sings. "I'll go easy on you!"

"If you hurt one of them I'll serve it straight into your head." Iwaizumi mutters.

Oikawa frowns at how he could even suggest such a thing before tossing up the ball.

Oikawa campfires it between Yahaba and Kindaichi in a perfect service ace. They groan at the play but everyone around them has some sort of shock roll onto their face in varying degrees.

Oikawa serves three more points before Watari gets a shaky handle which is helped by Kyoutani to get it up to Kunimi who bypasses one of Matsukawa's blocks. The score is 7-11.

Yahaba's team (or so they've dubbed it because he became the next captain) has tried to seclude Oikawa to first touch as not to get a handle for sets. Oikawa receives first three times after and Kyoutani had been able to score some points. 

9-12. 

Matsukawa read blocks a few spikes, Yahaba sends some almost perfect sets to Kyoutani, Kunimi and Kindaichi work well as a decoy pair, Hanamaki is able to get by Kindaichi's blocks a few times and Iwaizumi and Oikawa are working to their highest. 

The score is 13-14. 

Oikawa hasn't set to Iwaizumi once all game. Hanamaki and Matsukawa have been giving him sets, but between him having touched the ball first too often and there only being four players, Hanamaki wonders if that's the reason he hasn't set to him or if there's something else bugging him. 

But it doesn't matter, because this is match point. 

He spins the ball in his hands and dinks it over to the other side. Watari gets a hold of it and Yahaba's sending it to Kyoutani. Matsukawa blocks the ball but it gets dug by Kindiachi, who sends it back to Yahaba who sends it to Kunimi. 

Hanamaki touches it first and sends it perfectly into the setter position. Matsukawa jumps first, in a perfect position to spike, but Kunimi and Kindaichi go for a block. 

It's not until they see Iwaizumi in the far corner, a similar state to the last game they ever played together, that Oikawa sends it all the way across. No one's fast enough to touch it as it hits Iwaizumi's palm for the briefest of seconds and gets sailed down into the grounds. 

Iwaizumi and Oikawa only look at each other, euphoria dressing them. 

"I thought I'd never get to do that again." Oikawa admits. 

"Yeah. But it was perfect." Iwaizumi grins. It's the widest one Hanamaki's ever seen on him.

It's not until the distance closes between them and their lips touch for a kiss decades in the making does Hanamaki realize how they're just the side character in their story.

"I can't believe that's what it took." Matsukawa huffs. "So my years of obliviousness."

"It's cute though," Hanamaki says as the two back away from each other to stare into the other's eyes. "It feels like they're in a world of their own."

"We really are just side characters in their story." Matsukawa vocalizes Hanamaki's thoughts. 

"Then we'll be the side characters that everyone loves more than the main characters." 

"I'd toast to that." 

Because really, how long will it be before one of them gets married?

When former Seijoh starts clapping and whistling for an embarrassed Iwaizumi and Oikawa, he links hands with Matsukawa again.

" _ Yeah, _ " He thinks. " _ Maybe being a side character isn't so bad after all. _ "

He can't imagine having to wait another minute for Matsukawa, and now, he's happy Iwaizumi and Oikawa are the same way.

When Oikawa finally speaks again, he feels like he's eighteen all over. Telling fears at sleepovers, comforting kouhai, practicing on the gym floors, celebrating every loss and every win. As a team. As something that felt like family. 

It feels like they've all been chasing a feeling of home for a while. When they all looked over at remnants from Seijoh, and how far apart they'd split, Oikawa always wondered beforehand if he'd ever had friends as close and if he could keep them as he moved. He'd wondered if he'd ever find a place that felt such like a home.

Home, it took him too long to realize wasn't a place, but a person, or more specifically, people. Fabrication of a place's sentimentality was he had created. But no, home was in these people, and because he didn't see these people all of the time, he was surprised he didn't realize it sooner. 

Home was getting ramen together as a team. Home was running around learning the in's and out's of volleyball. Home was trying to overthrow old rivals. Home was convincing another player to respect his senpais. Home was memeing with someone and sharing a sense of humour. Home was being rivals at the Olympics. Home was not being able to be beside each other all of the time and still never letting each other go.

" _ And that one, _ " Oikawa shouts into the heavens. " _ Was for Karasuno and Shiritorizawa! _ " 

And he knows all of his teammates feel the exact same he does as they all climb into a group huddle mirroring the picture a decade before. While they may be on diverging paths, they'll be on the same wavelengths, just as they always have. 

**Author's Note:**

> Seijoh found family Seijoh found family Seijoh found family Seijoh found family Seijoh found family-
> 
> **Same old social plugs: twitter @phoenixesse or tumblr @rosiey9 for updates and rebloggings/retweets of people's cool things.**


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